Third Reich Luftwaffe Medical Oberstleutnant Officer's Collar Tab / Kragenspiegel, Germany
The Reichsluftwaffe was officially established on February 26TH 1935 as the third branch of service of the German Armed Forces. On March 9TH 1935 the formation of the new Reichsluftwaffe was announced to the foreign press and on March 16TH conscription was reintroduced for all three branches of service. On May 21ST 1935 the Reichsluftwaffe designation was altered to Luftwaffe. Collar tabs were adopted by the newly formed Luftwaffe on April 14TH 1935 and followed the basic pattern of the collar tabs that had been utilized by its earlier civilian forerunner the, DLV, Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports League). The collar tabs were worn in matching pairs and indicated the branch of service and rank of the wearer. The different branches of service within the Luftwaffe were allocated a specific identifying waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with dark blue being chosen for personnel serving with Medical / Sanitäts units.
